


Supervision

by seeyouin-Asgard (Sentiment_for_Lost_Creatures)



Series: Reflection [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cat, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, FrostIron - Freeform, M/M, Mpreg, Sequel, Smartass Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-02
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-11-17 14:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/552554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sentiment_for_Lost_Creatures/pseuds/seeyouin-Asgard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Loki are adjusting to parenthood, but one thing seems to be missing from their happy little family, in the form of their beloved pet cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You did good, Love.

**Author's Note:**

> Third part of the series, enjoy!

The room is dim, only a warm yellow glow lighting the walls, the windows are blacked out for maximum privacy. It is silent, save the gasps of amazement and quiet murmuring of sleep. Proud parents stand in each other’s hold, watching two highly trained assassins carefully. Tony has his arms wrapped tightly around his partner’s waist, his chest pressed up against the other mans back. Loki lets himself lean most of his weight against the engineer, his hands gripping the others wrists for maximum support.  
  
“Shit guys!” Clint whisper-shouts, as he stares wide-eyed in awe at the tiny bundle below him, “You have made a seriously cute kid — look at his tiny hands, they’re so… _tiny_!”  
  
“Clint, no.” Everyone looks to Natasha, not understanding her sudden outburst; she sees their confusion and looks directly to her partner, “We are not having one.”  
  
Clint’s mouth gaps open, unsure of when his girlfriend and long time field partner began reading minds, her skills of deduction were not that good last time he checked. His mind pauses on that thought: who was he kidding, she can read him better than an open book with the letters in large print, she doesn’t _need_ to read his mind. Natasha’s voice was firm, no hesitation present; there is no way she is budging on this topic. He looks away from her and back down. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, since they were still in the field. With their line of work, you can’t risk a child's life or the chance you may not return to them (they knew what it’s like having no parents), it’s not fair. Tony and Loki, of course, are an exception, they aren’t SHIELD employees, they can quit the Avenger’s when they like. They can do what they want.  
  
Hawkeye and Black Widow are stood side-by-side leaning over the large, Stark designed super-crib staring at the sleeping baby; Loki is almost on edge as he watches them closely. He is still recovering from the birth, it only being a few days following, his mind and body too weak to protect the baby or himself if the need arose. He _knew_ they wouldn’t hurt his child, but they are the first people they’ve allowed in to see him. With such bad experiences in the past with his offspring, no one blames him for being overly cautious with Peter. If it weren’t for immediate royal business on Asgard, that according to the Allfather he couldn’t miss, Thor would still be on earth to be the first one visiting his son. But Loki’s due date was still a week away, no one had really been that prepared. It had been a… shock. They really should have taken into account that the baby was half Stark, and when has a Stark ever done _what_ they’re meant to, _when_ they're meant to. Tony may be always late to the party, but this little one decided he wanted to be a little early to make his grand entrance.  
  
“You did good, love.” Tony whispers in his partner’s ear. Loki only hums in response, far too exhausted to respond more eloquently; Natasha’s ears perk up at the tone of the noise. She inconspicuously glances over to the couple, and sees the weary look on Loki’s face and the way his body is slumped against his makeshift support of Tony’s strong hold. She also knows he won’t leave the baby with the assassins still in the room. She nudges Clint, who also sees the fatigued God, and silently agrees with her.  
  
Both step away from the crib and turn to the parents. “He is beautiful, Loki. You should both be so proud.” Natasha steps forward and places her hands on Loki's upper arms, “If you ever need anything, a few hours for yourselves, or whatever, you only have to call, okay?”  
  
He hears her words and nods. Other than Tony, Natasha is the only other mortal Loki would trust with his life, as well as now his son’s. Eventually, but not any time soon, Loki would think about her offer. He would protect his baby with his life, and he knew it would be hard for him to make that first inevitable separation.  
  
“Also, when everything has settled down, we'll bring Mischief back home, okay?" Loki grins wide at the prospect of his pet cat coming back to him. He had missed him during the pregnancy, but he understood Tony's reasons.  
  
He steps forward and wraps his arms around the redheaded assassin, as tightly as his weak arms allow, “Thank you for everything, Natasha.  
  
Clint also steps up and gives Loki a manlier, one armed hug that they've accustomed themselves with. They both do the same with Tony, before they leave the room altogether.  
  
“Come on, Lo', let's get you to bed,” Tony takes Loki's hand in his and pulls gently.  
  
“No, I'm fine, a few more minutes,” Loki protests.  
  
“Love, look at me,” the God reluctantly turns to look over his shoulder. “You have to get some rest, being up this long is doing nothing for your recovery. Peter will be fine.”  
  
Loki feels his body aching, throbbing in mild pain; his magic is too depleted to completely heal himself, his stores were used up when making the birth possible. He lets go of Tony's hand and walks over to the crib. Wincing from the movement, he leans over the side of the crib to kiss the top of baby Peter's head, “I love you. Sweet dreams, my son.”  
  
Tony joins his partner, taking a hold of his hand. He wishes his own quiet goodnight, and gently tucks the blanket that had wriggled free back into place. Loki rests his forehead against the billionaires neck, tiredly breathing; the calloused fingers of an engineer, a genius, brush through his long dark hair. The couple stand for a few more minutes, before Loki lets himself be guided from the room and along the corridor.  
  
They both slip into bed immediately, no need for changing their clothes; sweat pants and in Loki's case one of Tony's large _Bon Jovi_ shirts too — he likes the dagger through the heart logo — were their chosen attire, comfort was a _must_. Right now, the thought of wearing leather, tight and restricting, scares the trickster a little bit.  
  
Once lying down, the bodies are still for only a moment. Loki shifts from one position to another, twisting and turning, Tony noticing instantly his restlessness, “Love, what's wrong?”  
  
“Uncomfortable,” Loki’s voice quiet, drained, “It hurts.”  
  
“Where does it hurt, Lo'? Tell me,” he coaxes. Tony feels horrible that Loki is suffering so much and he can do next to nothing to aid him. He just wants to help.  
  
“Everywhere,” Loki rolls himself away from Tony, curling into a ball, wishing the soreness away.  
  
Tony slides closer, his hands resting on the nape of Loki's neck. Slowly, with just the right amount of pressure, he begins circling his thumbs, massaging the tense muscles. As he lowers his hands, he stops for just a moment, slipping them under Loki's shirt, skin-to-skin contact.  
  
“Relax,” he kisses the exposed skin, his hands working down the God's back, taking extra time to massage the lower region of his spine, the part of his back that has taken the most punishment from the pregnancy. First of all there was the strain of carrying the weight of Peter's growing body, then there was the brutal pushing he had to suffer through during the delivery, so he could finally meet his child.  
  
Loki all but purrs in appreciation, his body relaxing completely in bliss. He leans his head backwards finding Tony's shoulder, enjoying the feather-light kisses against his cool skin, his eyes finally falling shut. When Tony hears the shallow breathing he is accustomed too, an indication that Loki is asleep, he stops his hands, moving them to circle the entire body in front of him. Once he has made one last quiet check with Jarvis, and he knows everything is fine next door in Peter's room, Tony’s eyes close too. Both parents and child sleep well that night.


	2. Obligatory introductions.

Loki’s body was still in its recovery stage, much to his dismay. On the other hand, his magic was almost back to full strength, which he was most thankful for. After their favourite assassins had visited at the tower, the couple had a few days to themselves. It was hard for them though. They were tired, exhausted even. Both were irritable with themselves and each other, but they worked through it all. Together they were learning how to be the best parents they can be, and they knew without the other, they would be sure to fail. They were the perfect team.  
  
Eventually Thor returned from Asgard. He was utterly bewildered when he arrived on the landing platform to the loud cries of an infant. When he reached the inside of the penthouse, he was welcomed by the surprise of his new nephew. It was a particularly bad night for the parents, little Peter intent on running them ragged, not settling once. Thor was unsure of how to react, not used to seeing his brother and the Man of Iron so exhausted, dark circles around their eyes. He also didn’t know how to respond to the almost relieved look on Loki’s face. The tired trickster beckons Thor to him, immediately introducing him to Peter, a warm smile on his face, despite the relentless crying. Pride washes over the Thunder God, a large hand placed on his brother’s neck, kissing his forehead, congratulating him and Tony on their beautiful baby. As soon as Thor holds Peter in his strong arms, the crying ceases, wonder in his eyes as he stares up at his uncle. Loki and Tony watch wide-eyed as their son quickly drifts off to sleep, confused, but not questioning. Quietly they show Thor to the nursery where he decides to stay giving Loki and Tony the break they deserve.  
  
Pepper’s eager visit followed the next day. She had brought Rhodey with her for moral support, the moment far too surreal for either of them to comprehend. They were about to meet the _child_ of Tony Stark: the man they watched womanise his way around the world on a path to self-destruction. The man who was before the hero; before Iron Man; before he saved Manhattan from _his_ _lover’s alien army_ ; the man who would easily stand in front of a crowd drunk, urinating into his suit, before he chose to do good. But all this was forgotten when they were shown to the nursery by Loki; their friend was already there, rocking baby Peter softly in his arms. This was the heart-warming sight that introduced them to Tony Stark: **_father_**. Pepper stepped up immediately to hold Peter, not even giving Rhodey the chance, that odd female instinct kicking in. All was well until he vomited onto her pristine black, suit jacket. The amused parents stood by acknowledging the irony of the situation, Peter clearly wasn’t happy when Aunty Pep wondered out loud whether he would be better at business related to paper work than his father. They got the answer to that loud and clear. It was this moment she knew she had to find and train her successor to be immune to all that is the Stark-bullshit. Tony wasn’t going to help her by training his heir to the company. For the love of Odin, help her.  
  
Visits from their friends and colleagues were becoming more frequent, which Tony and Loki were now comfortable with. It had taken time, but they finally settled into a routine they were happy with, and Peter didn’t seem to mind either. He didn’t spend as much time crying anymore, and they hadn’t had a repeat of the night that preceded Thor’s arrival. Speaking of the God of Thunder, he had been a blessing in disguise for the parents. Every couple of days he would fly in — _literally_ — and spend an hour or so with his nephew, giving the trickster and his genius some alone time. Sometimes they didn’t even spend that free time together, they needed a break from the other too. It was always nice for Tony to get back to his workshop, and Loki relished in the time he was able to reintroduce himself to his magic in the reinforced training area.  
  
When Steve, the sensitive soul he is, was introduced to baby Stark-Lokison, he had taken like a duck to water. Peter felt safe in the protective arms of the super-soldier, and it showed as he babbled happily. The couple left the two, vacating to the living area. Loki snuggles himself into Tony’s chest, most comfortable cuddled in the billionaire’s lap. They sat quietly, talk minimal, but kisses plentiful. Just when things began to heat up, Loki on his back being straddled, Tony’s hands pushing his shirt up, baring his now flat, pale stomach, Jarvis’ voice crackled from overhead. _Sirs, Mr Rogers requires the assistance of, and I quote, ‘anyone who knows what to do with a crying baby’._ The couple rushed back to the nursery where they left Steve, and they couldn’t help but chuckle when, for the first time, they see _real_ panic in the eyes of the usually so calm Captain. Because he was hungry, and probably tired due to his busy day of visits, Peter was crying hysterically, hiccupping every so often. Loki decides, eventually, to step in and take pity on the poor soldier. Steve was traumatised.  
  
Bruce had been another matter completely; all were cautious, if not secretly curious as to what would happen when he entered the tower the first time since Peter's birth. All knew he would never intentionally hurt the child, but no one could predict how the _other guy_ would react, so they wanted to keep risk of that happening to a minimum. Banner dictated the meeting, he _did not_ want anything going wrong, even though Loki was there at full magical strength. Thor wasn’t far and Tony’s suit was only a few feet away, but he still felt nervous. Tony was the one to bring Peter into the open space of the living area, where Bruce was sat on the sofa. He placed his son in the trusted arms of his science buddy — Tony, at least, had faith in Bruce. All held their breath waiting for Peter’s response, knowing that could be the teller as to what happens next. Thankfully it had been well, this was the smoothest introduction since Thor. Bruce sat tentatively as the small being snuggled sleepily into his chest.  
  
All had been perfect up until the moment a sad, bitter smile contorts Bruce’s face. The couple sit watching sadly, as the story unfolds in his eyes. Tony once made the sentiment that the Hulk had saved his life from the gamma exposure, but yet he had stolen so much more from him. Sat with a child — not his child though — in his arms, Bruce realises he may never get to experience this with his own flesh and blood the way Tony and Loki do. All thanks to the Hulk. It hurt. He stands placing Peter back into Tony’s hold, and quickly exits to the elevator, all the way trying to ignore the sad smiles on his friend’s lips.  
  
 _Finally,_ when all of the obligatory introductions — including Director Fury and a very not dead Coulson — had been fulfilled, the proud, but tired parents, collapsed hard against the sofa. For the last three days, absolutely non-stop, people were in and out of the tower, dying to meet the new addition to the Stark-Odinson household. Loki had decided to revert back to his adopted family name, once he had started to rebuild the bridges in his and Odin’s relationship. The new family were savouring the rare quiet that had settled upon the tower. Tony is sat with Loki's head in his lap, his fingers running through the dark strands of hair splayed over his legs. Peter is asleep on Loki's strong chest, tiny hands gripping tightly onto his mother’s shirt. As per usual, the quiet doesn’t last, not when you have Thor residing on the guest floor below the penthouse level. He is infamous for his ability of thundering into any peaceful moment.  
  
“Ah, Loki, Tony, how are you this fine day?” His loud voice booms through the air, luckily not enough to stir Peter awake.  
  
“We are great, Thor, we have finally finished introducing Peter to everyone,” Tony sighs content, ecstatic that he has no more awkward “baby passing” moments lined up. The best thing about that though, was it gave him a chance to show off how beautiful his baby — and subsequently his partner, he always liked bragging about being with Loki.  
  
“My brother, you seem to have forgotten that the young one must meet his grandparents. Mother and Father are most looking forward to his first trip to Asgard!”  
  
It turns out that Loki had in fact overlooked his adopted parents, despite Thor's presence, the constant reminder of family. Tony had just completely forgotten about extended family, including grandparents, especially since his own parents had passed away an age ago. Both remained frozen, stoic and expressionless on the outside, the sheer opposite of panic on the inside. The couple visibly pale, the blood draining from their faces, a gut-wrenching, ill feeling settling in their stomachs.  Damn it all to Hel.


	3. The main priority.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little sexy (you deserve it for waiting for so long for this chapter — more grovelling at the end of the chapter...)

Towards the end of the second week of Peter's life, Loki was much more comfortable with being a parent again. His body had completely healed and his magic was perfect under his control. He was happy. There was only one thing missing from his happy family unit, and that needed sorting. He was a god on a mission, stalking through the Tower, thinking of how good things were as of late.

The most important revelation to transpire is the unexpected peace with Asgard. Odin had made no notion to threaten his child; he knew it would be an act of war against the Avengers, and Odin wasn't willing to take the risk with his warriors. He had seen the way they handled the Chitauri fleet. Any act against the child would make permanent enemies of both his sons, and he most certainly did not want that. He had only just got Loki back into his life, but more importantly back in Frigga's life, and all he wanted was to keep his Queen happy.

Frigga absolutely adored her grandchild, like she did them all. She had no hand in them being cast away, and voiced her disapproval as Sleipnir being used as the Allfather's steed, and that is why she thinks Loki allowed her to visit him and his own family on Earth. She was most blissfully happy upon meeting Peter, and Peter loved her just as much — everyone loves Frigga. The same could not be said for Odin. Peter had not been happy in the slightest upon meeting the King of Asgard. He automatically cried whenever the Allfather spoke, pulled painfully on his beard when held, and vomited all over his regal Asgardian attire. Everyone had tried to ignore the ever-widening grin on the trickster's face. Loki could not be prouder.

The God of Mischief walks past Peter's room, but the almost gravitational pull of protectiveness draws him to the door, he pops his head inside to check on him. Thor is sat in the (reinforced for superhero size) rocking chair with a bundle of blankets containing his nephew in his strong arms, quietly mumbling stories of his own childhood on Asgard. Loki smiles sadly thinking of how badly he treated Thor in recent ages, but the fondness in the Thunder God's voice warms his heart. He gently shuts the door, as not to disturb his brother, and he leaves Peter and his uncle to it. Stepping further down the hallway, Loki politely asks Jarvis where Tony is and really should have anticipated the answer. Of course he is in the workshop. If he's not with Peter or the God himself, he's in the workshop, Loki could have guessed really.

/

Happily tinkering away, Tony sits at his desk with a small welding kit and a magnifying glass. Too warm from concentration and the heat of the machine in his hands, he sits in his white vest top that Loki is used to seeing. He still doesn't like that the engineer feels the need to wear two shirts to lessen the brightness of the reactor in his chest. Loki approaches quietly, curious as to what his partner is doing, the sparks igniting his imagination. Once he reaches the table, he watches in pure fascination as the tiny Iron Man replica Tony is methodically working on comes together. Not wanting to startle the engineer, in fear of damaging his project, the trickster uses his cat like stealth to sit on one of the benches a few feet away, watching intently.

After a while, the major bodywork of the model is completed — a few small intricacies here and there with a splash of infamous red and gold and it would be finished — Tony sets down his tools and removes the necessary protective shield from his eyes. He jolts in surprise when he notices Loki sat to the side of him, "When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago, I didn't want to disturb you," Loki shrugs his shoulders lightly, trying not to laugh at the deer in headlights look on Tony's face.

Tony takes the goggles from his head, placing them on the workbench, careful not to damage his prized project. He had made it for Peter so he could always see his father as a hero, and not what he used to be:  _Merchant of Death._  Tony kicks himself across the room on his wheeled chair, stopping in front of Loki. Smiling impishly, Tony takes advantage of his angle, running his hands along Loki's thighs. He only grins wider when he earns a gasp from the God as his nails drag back towards his knees. He pushes them apart and stands up, leaning forward to kiss the expanse of pale skin beneath Loki's ear and neck.

Pushing Loki further onto the workbench, Tony climbs up to join him. With one leg knelt between the other's thighs, he straddles only one of those teasingly long legs, all the time his lips busy against Loki's. His fingers work down the God's stomach to his crotch, palming him through his leather trousers hard. The unexpected move causes Loki to accidentally bite down into his tongue, the pain tingling pleasure through Tony's spine. Like a desperate, horny teenager, he grinds himself against Loki's thigh, his hand continuing to massage the other. Clinging to Tony as he leans forward to grasp the edge of the bench, Loki's lower back, exposed from his shirt rising up, just touches the cool metal of the bench. Loki's free leg hooks high around Tony's waist pulling him impossibly close, the genius rutting even harder against the thigh below, the friction from his own jeans wonderful against his aching cock. From his new angle, Loki thrusts himself up into Tony's grasp in long, languid strokes, the large hand perfectly cupping his entire package, pressing into just the right places to take his breath away. Embarrassingly this is how they come, both throwing their heads back, groaning out the other's name, releasing in their underwear.

Coming down from their high, they can't help but laugh at what just transpired. Never before had they lasted so little time with only the minimal ministrations allowing them a long desired release. Once his legs had stopped trembling, he set his feet back on the floor and returned to standing between Loki's legs. He grimaces at the stickiness inside his boxer, shifting uncomfortably, tugging at the waistband. With a wave of his hand and a smile tugging at his lips, Loki's magic cleans both of them up, neither really wanting to have to walk upstairs in such a state. Long arms drape around Tony's neck, pulling them into a tight embrace, both content enough to simply hold the other. Neither feels the need to take things any further than that; both are quite happily sated with that one short release.

Once upon time this would have been the perfect opportunity for Tony to ravish his lover until he couldn't walk without the help of his magic — he loves  _nothing_  more than workshop sex — but they didn't need that right now. A time for that will come again, but not yet. Both are tired and less interested in sex until the need grows to be unbearable — and that was something neither of them thought they'd ever say. They used to be able to find any excuse to escape to a deserted room, a cleaners closet or even a darkened corner to have their wicked way with each other. But now, raising a child was taking its toll on their physical relationship, but that didn't matter. Just because they weren't having sex everyday like before, Tony didn't love Loki any less. He never thought it was possible to love someone as much as he loves Loki at this point in time.

"Tony," Loki murmurs against the tanned neck, after nearly half an hour of quietly holding onto the other man, "Can I ask you something?"

The engineer pulls back slightly to look at his lover, "Of course you can, you always can."

Loki nods his head, silently explaining that he does really know that, it was just a way to start the conversation that had been his intention behind finding Tony in the first place, "When can Mischief come home?"

"He can come home whenever you want him too, Lo'." Tony knew that Loki missed the cat; it had become obvious to him when he saw the God staring intently at the cat bed in their room a few days earlier. This however, doesn't mean Tony doesn't have reservations about the animal returning to the tower. "Do you think we should see how he reacts to Peter first? If Mischief doesn't like him, it wouldn't be fair to either of them to keep him here."

"You think Mischief will dislike Peter?" Loki gasps alarmed, the possibility of that being the case had never even crossed his mind before.

"You can't always tell with animals, sometimes they just don't like babies and young children. But then sometimes children don't like animals either. We just don't know with Peter and Mischief." Tony feels terrible for bringing this onto Loki, all the God wants is their little family of four to finally be together. "I love Mischief, you know I do, but Peter is my priority."

Loki nods his head mournfully, but his voice holds a twinge of defensiveness, "And he is mine, Anthony."

"I know, love, I know. Let's just keep things on a trial basis with Mischief for now, and if it doesn't work out, maybe Natasha and Bird Brain could keep him permanently if needs be. I want him to be safe too." Loki drops his head as he listen to Tony's proposal, "But most importantly, I don't want anything bad happening to Peter at the claws of Mischief."

Sighing sadly, Loki nods again despite not reaching the outcome he had most desperately wanted. Tony pulls him into a tight embrace, feeling terrible about his decision. Even though he knows it really is for the best, he hates himself. He hates seeing Loki upset, especially if it is by his doing.

The God knows there is no changing Tony's mind, and he isn't going to waste his energy trying. The mortal is stubborn at the best of times, and is worse when it comes to the safety of his son, which Loki really does admire. If it's a trial run Tony wants, then Loki wants to start as soon as possible, his faith strong in his feline companion. He presses a chaste kiss to Tony's lips before sliding off the workbench, "Would you call Natasha for me please, there are a few things I must do?"

"Of course I can, Lo', I'm sorry for, you know, being a dick about this whole thing—" Loki stops him with another quick kiss, resting his forehead against Tony's once he pulls away.

"You need not worry, my love, I understand. Even though I would like more than anything for Mischief to return to living here on a permanent basis, I have a child to think about. He  _is_  the main priority and I thank you for realising that when I didn't." Loki pulls Tony into a brief hug, trying his best to prove he really  _isn't_  upset with him, before leaving the workshop.

Tony sighs, thinking over Loki's words,  _"I thank you for realising that when I didn't"_. When was he going to realise that he was in fact the perfect father,  _and_  lover,  _and_  friend? Loki was a better man than he ever gave himself credit for, and it kills Tony all the time. He just wishes his partner could see himself the way the he did. The way everyone else sees him. No one — including Clint and the very undead Coulson — saw the maniacal, yet broken, creature he had become anymore. Loki is part of their family, and is accepted by all with warm, open arms. His trickster is perfect, and the Iron Man would never be told different by anyone. A sad smile twitches at his lips before he gets to the task Loki had set him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! I cannot express how sorry I am for leaving this so long! I knew I wouldn't be able to update all that regularly, but it's been over two months. I haven't slipped up this bad in a long time! Please throw stones at me or something, I feel terrible… I added the smut in hopes that would please the few that can be bothered to read after all this time, and also because the chapter would have been stupidly boring without it. Drop me a review if you're still with me, I love all of you who read this!
> 
> (p.s. I honestly don't know when I'll be able to update again… Exams and Uni application stress is about to hit me like a freight train! I'm really sorry!)


	4. I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this, it's way too angsty! I blame it on seeing Les Miserables and The Impossible recently!  
> It's short as well, but I wanted to write something that wasn't chemistry equations for my exam tomorrow...  
> Enjoy!

Tony does what the trickster asks of him, and immediately puts in a call to his second favourite redhead. Pepper most definitely being the first, of course — not that he would make the distinction out loud. The call lasts longer than he expected, and it isn't pleasant. Natasha successfully and purposefully makes him feel worse than he already did, and now he hates himself. She is fiercely protective of her friends, she will defend them to her death, and Loki is, for all intents and purposes one of her best. This apparently gave her a full warrant to interrogate him, her needing every, single detail of — and in her words — Tony's "terrible" idea.

"Tony! You know how much Loki loves this damn cat, how can you tell him Mischief can't live with you anymore?" Her voice is disbelieving.

"I didn't say that! I said we should trial run it first, you know, beta test…" He trails off, not sure how else to explain himself, he already doubted himself.

"Tony, this is a  _terrible_  idea," She groans. "But what's done is done. We'll bring him over this evening."

Tony doesn't have time to say  _thank you_ , before the assassin hangs up on him. As soon as he gets off the line, he marches upstairs and out of the workshop. The engineer is unsurprised by the view he finds in his living room. Thor is sprawled across the sofa, a box of Pop Tarts in one hand, and the TV remote in the other. It took a while to teach the Thunder God to use the television with throwing something at the screen, but he finally managed to work it out —  _thankfully_ , says Tony's bank account. It really took a considerable chunk out of his fortune when he had to replace thousands of dollars worth of electronics every other day.

"Ah, Man of Iron, how are you this fine day?" Thor's booming voice never fails to startle Tony with its intensity.

"I'm good, Thor," He lies suavely. "Have you seen your brother?" Tony's enquires; he really needs to talk to him.

"He is with the youngling, in his nursing room."  _Nursery,_  Tony corrects silently, and thanks him.

Tony traces the familiar, well-worn path to Peter's room, and sure enough that's where he finds Loki. He watches the soft movement of the rocking chair, swaying forward and backwards, and takes a few moments before he steps towards his partner. Loki is sat with Peter comfortably in his right arm, his left hand holding a bottle of milk to the baby's mouth. Peter happily suckles, drinking in the milk. Loki looks up and smiles softly at Tony — the smile not quite reaching his eyes, he notes — before returning his attention to Peter. Tony sits himself at Loki's feet, his chin resting on the god's knee, watching him attending to their child with love in his heart. They are silent for a few more moments, before Tony's speaks.

"Loki, what was said earlier, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, I know Peter is your priority." He places a kiss to Loki's knee, "You are the best mother I could have ever wished for, for my child."

Loki doesn't respond, slowly mulling over Tony's words as he waits for Peter to finish his bottle. Once the milk is gone, he puts the bottle on the small table beside him, and brings Peter to his chest, and lightly pats his back to burp him.

"It's hard sometimes, Anthony, I've made mistakes and I will forever be haunted by them. I don't want to make any mistakes with Peter." He voice is tight, his throat constricting with emotion, "I love him too much for that."

A better idea than his one earlier that day comes to mind, and Tony stands up. He steps away from the chair, beckoning Loki to follow. Once on his feet, Tony guides Loki into the en suite that is attached to the room, the place they bathe him and keep a plentiful stock of anything Peter would need to keep him healthy. He positions Loki in front of the large mirror and stands behind him, adjusting his posture so his head is visible over Loki's shoulder, their faces side by side.

"Look, Lo', just look at the way he sits perfectly in your arms, and how perfect you are in mine." Tony's arms squeeze lightly around his waist, looking eye to eye with his lover in the mirror, "This is love, Loki. This is us for forever more, our little family."

He continues, but taking extra care to be sensitive, which honestly doesn't come naturally to the billionaire, "I'm not saying we won't make mistakes, because we will, everyone makes mistakes, but Peter will forgive us, and do you know why? Because we love him unconditionally and he loves us in return."

Loki stops his intent staring at his lover, and drops his eyes to the child in his arms, "And what if he won't forgive my past mistakes? He will forever been known as the child of the God who attempted to overthrow and rule this realm, Tony. He'll understand one day when he's older the destruction I have caused, the number of deaths I was responsible for. He won't forgive that."

"I did." Loki's eyes snap back to Tony's reflection, tears ever so gradually forming and sticking to his eyelashes. He blinks them away, causing a few strays to fall down his pale cheeks. Tony's hand moves from Loki's waist, to cradle Peter's head, "Why won't he?"

Loki turns burying his face in the crook of Tony's neck, and softly lets his fresh tears fall. Tony brings his arms up to hold onto the God, careful not to crush their child between them. Loki breath catches, sniffling lightly, his voice broken, "I love you, Tony."

"I love you so much, Loki. I promise everything will be alright." He kisses Loki's forehead devotedly.

Tony didn't like to make promises he couldn't keep, but this is one he would. He would fight with everything he has, whether it cost him his company, his Iron Man, or his life, he would keep Loki and Peter safe and happy. They would want for nothing. And if Loki wanted that to include Mischief then so be it. Tony would have to put aside his reservations about Mischief, and make it his mission to make sure the cat and Peter could both live in the tower in harmony.

Tony realised he was being too harsh on Loki; Mischief has always been more than just a pet cat to him. Mischief was the reason they decided to take the huge leap to have their own child. Without him, they probably wouldn't be where they were now. Tony really did owe more to him than he gave credit for. Tony was going to put aside his uncertainties if he wanted to keep his God happy, and that really is a small price to pay to see Loki smile.


	5. They'll be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit shorter this time. And future chapters may be even shorter too, I haven't decided how to split it up yet. So that means there's either one long chapter, or 5 short ones left. Just have to wait and see!

When Natasha walks into Stark Tower's penthouse apartment, she doesn't know what to expect. World War III. Maybe? Ragnarok. Perhaps? Plates being thrown combined with hysterical shouting and screaming. Definitely. She really was readying herself for the worst. Tony was never subtle about  _anything_ , and she was worried about how Loki reacted to being told Mischief may not actually be allowed back to live with them. She  _at least_  thought there would be a disastrous tension hanging thick and uncomfortable in the air. However, what she is greeted with pleasantly surprises her. Snuggled happily into his lover's chest on the sofa, Loki has his legs thrown over Tony's lap, with Peter contentedly lying on his mother's thighs playing with his fingers. The family is happy, happier than she has ever seen them.

The unexplained change is most apparent from Loki. His entire aura is different, like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, his heart lighter. She is thankful that Tony's  _brilliant_  plan to "beta test" Mischief's return has not damaged their relationship. Despite her well-practiced expressionless exterior, the assassin could not bear to see this relationship end. This is the relationship that made her believe that love was possible for someone as damaged as her. They were perhaps the reason her and Clint lasted past the first few months. It's now been years! If for whatever reason Tony and Loki were separated, their own decision or not, it would end up killing them both. It would probably even rip a hole between galaxies, both of them beyond capable of creating a spell or a machine to do such a thing.

But that simply wasn't an option anymore. They have a  _baby_  to care for. They created a life, and they simple could not leave him through either separation or…  _worse._  But Natasha knew that would never happen, they love that little bundle of joy far too much to let a simple argument destroy an entire future together. Peter was a lucky child, even if he didn't know yet. He would want for nothing. His parents — the genius-billionaire and the God of Mischief — love him; Earth's mightiest heroes — including his Uncle Thor, future King of Asgard, Captain America, national icon, two master assassins  _and_ the Hulk — love him; and despite what the director of S.H.I.E.L.D really says — " _get that stupid ass baby away from me"_ — Fury loves the little one too.

When Loki looks up from cooing over Peter, he sees the Black Widow, dressed in a casual pair of jeans, shirt and leather jacket, with a very familiar carrier in her hand. Lumbering along behind her, Clint stumbles in carrying the much less precious cargo of other cat-related items. A broad smile widens on Loki's lips, his perfect white teeth glaring happily. Sat in buzzing excitement, Tony picks Peter up from Loki's legs, freeing the other man. He kisses his lover's cheek to encourage him over to his redheaded best friend, knowing how much Loki wants to see his cat again.

Loki hesitantly stands from the sofa and feels his hand squeezed by Tony.  _It's okay, go,_ Tony mouths and his nods towards the others in the room. Kissing him gratefully, Loki walks towards Natasha. She places the pet carrier on the floor before he gets to her and is embraced in a tight hug from Loki. He holds her close, thanking her profusely for looking after his beloved cat. Taking a deep breath, he kneels beside the carrier and tentatively opens the door, bending his neck forward to look inside.

Immediately the black ball of sleek fur strides forward and nuzzles his face against Loki's cheek affectionately.  _He remembers me_. Loki takes in the sight of Mischief; he's a little bigger than before, the last of the kitten in him now gone. His coat is healthy and his eyes shine just as bright. Loki kneels fully on the floor, delicately stroking the felines back with one hand and tickles under his chin with the other. The strong, satisfied purring is loud enough to echo across the room to be heard by Tony on the sofa. He drops his eyes to the child in his arms and Loki looks up from his place on the floor, both smiling as Peter gurgles excitedly at the new sound.

Natasha looks to Clint, who smiles back at her just a gladly. After a few more minutes of playful cuddling between pet and owner, Loki stands and hugs Natasha again. He moves over to Clint and hugs him too. He invites them to stay for dinner to show his gratitude, but they have to politely decline, something about a briefing for a new non-Avengers mission that they leave for they day after tomorrow. They all know that means they won't be seeing each other for at least a couple of months minimum. Tony stands to join the other three, bringing Peter to see his favourite assassins. Clint is the first to jump in to hold Peter, bouncing him in the air, as he giggles happily. Natasha is next to hold Peter, this time gently in her arms, the child looking a little green from all the movement inflicted on him by Uncle Bird-Brain. She really doesn't want baby sick over her lovely jacket.

No one can decide whether Clint's almost tearful goodbye,  _I'm gonna miss you little buddy!_ , is a dramatisation or whether he's being serious. With his promise to be back as soon as he can, they all decide that he really is going to miss Mischief. Finally Natasha manages to pry Clint from the floor, and the couple are ready to leave. Once in the elevator, they wave farewell to the now complete family. Tony is stood with his arm tightly around his partner's waist, Loki is leaning into the others hold, cuddling Peter to his chest. Mischief is sat on Loki's feet, his tail wrapping around his leather-clad leg. Natasha smiles gently to herself as the elevator doors closes and they begin their descent to the ground floor.

_They'll be all right_ , she thinks as the memory of their happy faces fills her head and smiles.  _No Ragnarok today._


	6. It's your turn!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be shorter from now on...

After what Tony can only describe as an eventful, yet emotionally draining day, he finally finds himself and his lover curled up in bed; his arms sit tightly around the green-eyed God's waist, long, black hair flowing over his shoulder. Both sigh contentedly, happy with the day's outcome. Relaxing into the soft mattress, Tony stretches his legs, meeting no resistance. He raises his torso to look down at his feet, and sees nothing.  _Strange_ , he thinks,  _something's missing_.

"Loki, where did Mischief go?" Tony asks remembering what was most certainly missing.

"Hmm…" Loki's eyes open slowly, looking up at Tony, "Natasha refused to let him sleep on their bed—"

"Smart lady!" The genius interrupts.

"Quiet, Tony," the God snaps, already unhappy to being woken up. " _So_ , since he is not yet used to being home, I suspect he is still in the living room."

Looking at the empty bed, it feels odd since the cat is somewhere in the tower, "Do you want me to get him?"

"He will be fine, my love. Now sleep." Loki breathes and pulls his partner back against the bed. He takes his advantage and throws half his body over the other man's and snuggles in close. Not being able to do much pinned under his God, Tony settles in for the night, still relishing in the closeness of their two bodies, even after all this time.

It feels like he has only just closed his eyes, before Tony has to open them again. The shrill shriek through the fancy Stark Baby Monitor, jolts both parents awake. Patting Tony on the chest, Loki yawns tiredly, "It's your turn! You can feed him."

Before Tony has time to complain, Loki has already rolled over and buried his face in the pillows. His shallow breathing returns not moments later, asleep already. Sighing loudly, he pulls the covers off himself and trips out of the bedroom. His first port of call is fetching the milk for his hungry son from the kitchen. On his way there, he has Jarvis warm up the pre-made formula. Thanks to his _darling_  Jarvis, everything is ready upon his arrival. Checking the temperature of the milk on his wrist, and being sufficiently satisfied, Tony starts his journey back to Peter's room.

Stumbling along, still bleary-eyed due to the dim lighting and sleep, Tony eventually gets to his destination. Opening the door, he steps forward. Now Tony is a smart man, a  _genius_ , and he knows, even when half-asleep, his foot should have found carpet. Not  _fur_. He is certainly not expecting to feel 10 claws and a couple of teeth latching onto his foot. Swearing loudly and diving forward, he thanks the lord (or the God in his bedroom) that the searing pain has left his foot, just the sting of his wounds remaining.

"Jarvis, lights 40%!" Tony whisper shouts, already painfully aware he has startled Peter with his swearing. He stares back at the door to see Mischief curled up peacefully like nothing has happened.  _Bloody cat._  "Be a dear and call Loki for me, I'm bleeding all over the carpet…"

A few minutes later, sheets wrapped around him like a glorified cape, Loki appears in the doorway, Mischief clearing out of the way. "Tony, what on Midgard is going on here?"

"Ask your damn cat and look at my foot!" Tony whines from the carpet.

Seeing that there is a considerable amount of blood pouring from various cat inflicted wounds on his lover's foot, Loki decides not to mock. He crouches down and within seconds, his magic has healed the lacerations leaving no scars or any sign of blood — not even on the carpet. "Please refrain from stepping on the cat again, love."

"I will actively try to avoid any such thing, it hurt like a bitch!" He looks behind him, closer to the crib and notices the empty bottle milk. "Not even the milk survived!"

Smiling gently to himself, Loki stands up and moves to the crib. With his magic he cleans the milk and materialises a new bottle of the perfect temperature. Glaring at the other's ease, Tony folds his arms and crosses his legs, sulking like an infant. Loki scoops Peter up from his crib and carefully sits in front of Tony on the carpet to feed their son his bottle.

As Peter is halfway through his bottle, Mischief appears next to Tony, much to the engineer's displeasure. As he glares down at the creature, Loki can't help but chuckle at his partner. When Mischief starts to rub his face against his knee, Tony eventually sighs exasperatedly and gives up, knowing his attempts at sulking are futile. Sharing his last glares between lover and cat, he rubs his finger between Mischief's eyes that he knows he likes.

/

The next morning, Loki rises before Tony. After a few moments of admiring the tanned skin nestled amongst the pillows and sheets, he slips out of bed and into the shower. Once clean and refreshed, Loki dresses himself casually, and goes to take care of his son. When he gets to Peter's room, Mischief is in the same place he left him the previous night, curled up in front of the bedroom door.

"Have you been here all night, little one?" Loki smiles, crouching down to pet the feline, spending a few precious moments before Peter finally wakes.

Every night since his return, supervising the goings on outside his room, Mischief has protected Peter throughout his sleep. Not even Tony can complain about  _that_.


	7. Guardian Angel

"I cannot believe he's six-months-old already!" Natasha exclaims, careful not to spill her coffee. It's been a long time since she had last seen Peter, her mission with Clint taking a lot longer than expected. This is the first time she has been able to get away from SHIELD to have some time to do what she wants.

"He has certainly grown a lot since the last time you saw him." Loki smiles proudly into his own green-tea, a thing he picked up from Bruce.

"Look, he's even crawling now!" He can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. As Loki watches Natasha's fascinated eyes on Peter, he can't help but think that one day he'll be looking after a mini-Clint/Natasha-hybrid running around causing havoc with his own son. What a force of nature that would be!

After a few minutes more of chatter, the two friends catching up on Peter's development, as much as she can divulge on her mission, and their respective partners, Natasha's phone rings in her pocket. She sighs tiredly upon seeing the caller I.D. — "It's Coulson." — and she excuses herself to the balcony.

Knowing that the conversation would most likely be confidential — Tony can hack S.H.I.E.L.D later for his curiosity — Loki continues to watch Peter as he plays with favourite child-proofed Avengers toys. Iron Man is currently attacking Thor with Captain America's shield. The God grins wildly and full of mischief at the amusing thought of his lover fighting his brother in such a way. No longer than ten seconds later, a loud explosion ricochets through the living room and alarms start shrieking. Jumping up from the sofa, into a crouched, attack stance with his magic tingling at his fingertips, Loki stares around the room ready for an attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Natasha re-enter the building, gun drawn. The lack of Jarvis' commentary has the trickster thinking that this might not _actually_  be an attack. He would have alerted them to the intruder's location.

"Jarvis, open Tower communications: Tony!" He calls from his still crouched position. His eyes dart back to Peter, who remains smashing his Iron Man toy against Thor happily, seemingly not affected by the sound.  _Remarkable child_. With no reply from his lover, he calls again, "…Tony?"

Silence remains.

"I'm okay!" Tony's muffled voice echoes through the air through the overhead speakers as he begins laughing, "I'm alive!"

Loki and Natasha look to each other, sighing in relief. Tony is such a liability, more trouble than their child most of the time. If things couldn't get any more stressed, their attention is caught by Mischief sharp, panicked meow. They turn sharply, only able to watch — their reflexes not  _that_  quick — as Mischief jumps in front of Peter to divert him away from crawling head first into the sharp edge of the coffee table leg. Loki jumps elegantly, but with power, over the back of the sofa and sweeps Peter up into his arms holding him tightly against his chest.

"Don't ever do that to me again," Loki cries, as if Peter could fully understand him. His breath is ragged, his eyes brimming with unshed tears as he clings to his fragile son. "You really are your father's son."

Behind him he hears Natasha chuckle at his last comment, both knowing how true that really is. Peter is still none the wiser, babbling happy in his mother's arms. Everybody has their theories on what a pain Peter will be when he gets older, especially if he picks up any of Tony's bad habits. Tony is convinced things will be  _"_ _awesome_ _"_ , and its comments like that that make it harder for Loki to come to terms with.

Pulling his attention back to reality, Mischief sits at his foot and purrs loudly, rubbing his face on the God's shin. Loki crouches down and pets the black tuft of fur on the feline's head with one hand, as he shifts Peter to his opposite hip. He smiles, truly grateful that Mischief returned home. "You really are a blessing, aren't you? His Guardian Angel…"

For the remainder of Natasha's visit, Loki doesn't let go of Peter, despite the protests of the young one. He settles down when Mischief sits beside him, his tiny, unexperienced hands enjoy playing with the soft fur. She takes her leave when Tony returns to the living area, his hair sticking out at awkward angles and his face covered in soot and oil. If it wasn't for his son in the room and the fact he was still slightly annoyed at the engineer for the earlier explosion, Loki would have thrown Tony on the sofa and ravished him, always semi-aroused by his lover's dirtied state. If he was being honest, it was purely Peter's presence stopping him, Loki would more than love to dish out some of his own  _punishment_ , and this is something Tony was painfully aware of.

"Later," Loki mouths with a coy, seductive bite of his lip. He grins as his lover visible shivers in anticipation.

Perhaps Auntie Natasha can be persuaded into another visit, one where she takes Peter with her for the night, so Loki and Tony can really have some alone time. It's not like they can leave Peter with Mischief as supervision. It just wouldn't be proper, despite what Tony says. And Loki has had to remind him of this fact on more than one occasion, usually when the billionaire is particularly in the mood for sex. They look to each other, both on the same wavelength. Loki passes Peter to Tony, and grabs his Starkphone from the coffee table, which is lucky to still be in one piece. Sharing one last impish smirk with Tony, he dials a familiar number.

"Good afternoon, Natasha, I have a proposal for you…"


	8. Kitty!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry!  
> Lack of inspiration for this... Lots of FrostIron one-shots have happened though...  
> But Iron Man fever has hit (IM3 is bloody brilliant, see it!), and I gathered myself to write this chapter.

Late one night, once Peter, now eight-months-old, is safely tucked up in his crib with his guardian angel supervising the door, Tony and Loki retire to their own room. Going about his nightly routine — Asgardian customs that have stuck with him over the years — Loki stops in front of the floor to ceiling mirror with his _moisturiser_ in hand (Tony refuses to not chuckle to himself each night) and an open phone line through Jarvis from above.

Tony doesn’t have to question who he is speaking too: Thor is incapable of using Earth technology, despite how much time Tony has taken out of his hectic schedule to try and teach the imbecile, and Frigga is too far away to be reached by conventional methods. Conversing with Asgard (and therefore Heimdall and Odin) takes a lot out of Loki’s magic stores, so he refuses to waste it on things he deems unnecessary — which is mostly everything to do with Asgard that isn't his mother. Through his deductions and the stereotypically girly gossiping, he knows Natasha is on the other end of the line.

The evening’s events were far too "hilarious" for Loki to keep to himself. He needed to tell _someone_ and of course that someone was his trusty redheaded, assassin sidekick. She was always up for a good laugh, especially at Tony’s expense. Most of the time, he didn't know whether to laugh with her, or get his own back by messing with her hair dye.

“Natasha, oh my, you should have been here to witness it! Anthony’s face was a picture, I’ve had Jarvis save the security footage. I’ll get him to send it to you!”

“ _Recording has been sent, Sir_.”

The line is silent for a few moments, whilst she checks her messages, before a jovial cackle rings through the air. Tony groans and pulls the duvet over his head, hating on Jarvis for being so obesity _and_ his lover for being such a little shit.

* * *

  _Earlier that evening…_  


* * *

“Anthony, will you stop messing around and clean up Peter!”

“Hang on a moment, he’s so close!” He says, waving a hand in Loki's general direction, shrugging him off.

Loki sighs exasperatedly, as he picks up the dishes from the table. Like always, he just lets Tony get on with whatever he’s doing, he’ll do what he’s supposed too eventually. Just not usually in the time Loki wants him to.

“Come on, Petey! You can say it: Daddy, Dad-dy, Daad-dee!” Tony encourages, bouncing a little in his seat, an exaggerated grin on his face.

“Tony," Loki begins but is cut off, as Tony turns to look at him.

"I will be damned if my child's first word is not Daddy, even Tony would be—" He stops and sharply turns back to Peter, who continues to ignore him. With his dinner smeared all over his face and hands, Peter sits in his high chair, bouncing up and down and side to side, as he claps his hands together with glee. His cheerful screaming gets louder as Mischief appears on the table beside him. Reaching out to grab him with his tiny, grubby fingers, the sleek feline dodges the offending extremities. Instead of listening to the man calling himself _Daddy_ — whatever that is — he wants to play with the soft, black kitty.

" _Tony_ , come on Petey, say Tony, Ton-nee! Ir-on, Iron Man?" Even though his child's attention span is currently worse than his own, Tony will not give up.

Loki knows that love and nurturing will help with an infant’s development, but he also knows that they inherit certain traits from their parents. Like pig-headed stubbornness for example, for which Peter has double the helpings of. If he is not ready to talk or if he just doesn't want too, he won't, no matter what a child prodigy he will most certainly become. "Darling, leave him be, he is not ready—”

“Kitty!”

Both jaws fall slack as Peter utters his first word. A silence of shock and awe fills the air.

Loki recovers first, dropping the plate he was washing back into the bubbles, using his magic to clean and put away the rest. With a click of his fingers he also cleans the mess from Peter, and sweeps the child in his arms, swinging him round on his hip. Peter giggles happily, chanting the word "kitty" over and over.

"That's it, Peter, it's the kitty!"

Standing still, Peter still perched on his hip, Loki finally looks to Tony. His mouth still remains open, unmoving. His face begins blank, but ever so gradually his features morph, his eyebrows creasing together and his nose wrinkling. His lips flatten, slightly pursing into an unimpressed pout. His hard glare focuses on the offending creature, still sat all high and mighty at the opposite end of the table. Having to put Peter back in his highchair in get of dropping him, Loki doubles over, using Tony's shoulder to balance himself, as he laughs. He laughs harder than ever before and can't help it. Tony's childish feud with the pet cat has been going on far too long and is becoming more and more ridiculous. It really is hilarious! Tony huffs and crosses his arms, pouting like a petulant child. This, of course, only sets Loki off again, so much so, he has to excuse himself from the room, taking Peter with him, leaving Tony to his staring contest with the cat.

* * *

"Is the big, bad Iron Man jealous of the little _kitty_?" Loki drawls as he climbs under the covers beside his lover.

"No..." Tony grumbles from under a pillow. He groans as he throws the pillow from his head, "Peter loves him more than me!"

"Oh darling," he coos, kissing sweetly to Tony's temple, sad that he thinks this way, "Don't be silly, Peter most certainly loves you. He positively beams when you're in the room!"

"Really?" He looks up through his eyelashes, still unconvinced.

"Of course he does, you are his _father_ , and a better father than any of ours!" Loki takes Tony's role very seriously, and he couldn't wish for anyone more dedicated to be his partner in raising a child.

"Come now, Sourpuss, how about I, lighten the mood?" Loki leans forward, his lips playing at the base of Tony's neck.

Leaning his head backwards, his neck extended as Loki moves towards his hairline, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

"By lightening the amount of clothes we are both wearing..."

Grinning wildly, a single eyebrow raising as Loki climbs off the bed, his hands moving to the top of the buttons on his green, silk nightshirt, "Tell me more!"


	9. Dad can help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, quick update!  
> I'm putting this down to the fact I've already been to the cinema twice to see IM3 since it came out on Thursday...

Just past 8pm, the sun almost fully set, Loki sits on the bed of his now four-year-old son, finishing up his bedtime story. Tonight Loki is telling Peter of the glorious days he spent on wild hunts through the Asgardian planes with Uncle Thor. The previous night, Tony recounted the time he built Dummy and all the numerous accidents he had had because of him. The young boy laughed until he yawned, falling asleep on his father’s shoulder. Tonight he doesn’t fall asleep immediately, he isn’t as tired as the previous night — it had been a lazy day around the tower.

"Mom, remember, _don't_ close the door," Peter states matter-of-factly, as he shuffles under the bed covers.

"Of course, darling," Loki doesn't protest. He doesn't understand why Peter likes to keep his door open at night, but he's sure he'll grow out of it. Tony assures him that will change when he gets to be a teenager. _Midgardian teenagers,_ he'sheard the rumours of their troublesome ways, the terror they strike into some parents. He silently prays to whatever merciful God there is out in the nine realms that Peter will not rebel against them, at least not like he did.

Standing from the bed, he tucks Peter in and kisses him on the forehead, "Goodnight, son."

Stretching up, he pulls Loki into a hug, "Night, Mom. Love you..." His voice tapers off into a yawn as he shimmies under the duvet, curling onto his side, eyes falling closed.

Loki presses one last kiss to Peter's temple, before making to leave the room — remembering to leave the door open. Before he can get far, a gentle prod nudges his foot.

"And how could I forget you, Mischief," he whispers to the cat, as to not wake Peter. He spends a few minutes crouched to the floor, tickling him under his chin and on the back of his neck, just how he likes. When Mischief has had enough, he makes Loki aware. Tonight he shakes off his fingers and moves to his usual spot. Loki stands, proud as he watches the cat he has raised from a kitten curl up on the floor beside Peter’s bed. From the day Mischief returned home after Peter’s birth, he has been found either at the door when Peter was still in his crib, or beside his bed as he grew older.

When Loki gets to his own room, Tony is already asleep in their bed. Smiling, he’s glad that the genius is finally getting the sleep he needs. Over the last week, he’s been spending more and more time in the lab on his latest suit modification. The further he got with it, the less amount of time there was for sleep, he was fixated on getting it finished quickly and perfectly. Now it was finally complete, Tony can relax, and _sleep_. Once ready himself, Loki slips in between the covers and snuggles himself into Tony’s side. Breathing in the familiar scent of his partner, his eyes close immediately.

* * *

Loki doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep, but he gets awoken by the panicked screams of Peter from down the corridor. Loki shoves Tony awake, who immediately springs to life from his almost comatose state. They both frantically run to his room, through the door within minutes and ready for a fight since they had no idea what was going on. When they get there, they find him no longer crying, but laying on his side, Mischief curled in tightly to his chest. Peter strokes Mischief, sniffling slightly, his eyes red and puffy, cuddling him close. Both parents, although still worried, breathe a sigh of relief. At least no one was attacking. Tony is the one to step forward first. Peter raises his eyes to look at his father, but soon focus back on Mischief.

“Hey bud, wanna talk about it?” Tony asks, crouched beside the bed. Mischief decides that it’s probably best to move and not interrupt _family time_. He jumps from the bed and moves to sit by the door.

“No…” The small voice is hesitant, still scared. But maybe Dad can help? _He can_ , Peter decides, “It was a bad dream. A _huge_ spider with horrible fangs was trying to bite me!”

Tony smiles sadly, his thumbs brushing away the tears, “Spiders always freak me out too, buddy. Gotta remember though, whatever scares you, Iron Man could totally kick its ass!”

Peter giggles lightly, knowing Dad used a bad word. But he shakes his head, unconvinced that anything could save him from the savage creatures. “Not caught in a spider web, you couldn’t…”

“Well maybe not, but that’s what Mom is for,” Tony nods back to Loki that is stood just behind him. “You know with his magic, he’s way too fast for any spider to catch him. He’ll always save us.”

Kneeling beside his lover, he kisses him lightly, his hand taking ahold of Peter’s, “I promise I will save you, Peter. Where you are, whatever has you, it matters not. I will _always_ find you and I will _always_ save you.” He turns his head back to Tony, “Both of you.”

Peter sits up and hugs Loki tightly. Loki sits on the bed beside his son, running his fingers gently through his brown wavy hair, as he holds onto him tightly. Tony kisses both their heads, before turning and leaving, always knowing that Loki is _so_ much better at really dealing with the emotional side of Peter. He also gives _great_ hugs! Tony never really liked to cuddle in his younger days, but then Loki happened, and his entire view on cuddling changed.

After 20 more minutes, Peter feels calm and safe enough to go back to sleep. He’s tired and his eyes hurt, he just wants to close them. Loki senses the uncomfortable shifting, so releases his hold, laying Peter back against the bed, rearranging his covers.

Just as he stands, the bed creaking at the shift of weight, Peter’s voice quietly speaks, “Mom, can Mischief stay on the bed with me?”

Smiling to himself in the dim light of the room, Loki picks Mischief from the floor and places him back in his place beside Peter. “Of course he can, love.”

With one last reassuring kiss to the forehead, Loki heads out of the room, leaving the door fully open behind him. Once he’s far enough away from Peter’s room, Loki stops, his back pressed up against the wall. Tony steps out of their bedroom to stand in front of him, his arms wrapping around Loki’s shoulders. Drained, Loki’s head falls forward onto Tony’s shoulder, standing together as their minds settle.

Tangling his fingers in the sleek, black hair, tony holds Loki close. “You handled that so well, I have no idea how you do it. Seriously, I feel a million times safer with you here."

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Stark.” Loki all but purrs.

Tony catches on pretty quickly, grinning wildly, “How far will it get me tonight?”

“Tonight, nowhere.” Loki didn’t want to be preoccupied with something Tony-related if his son needed him again that night.

“Tomorrow though…” His voice low, seductive. Walking by, Loki drags his nails lightly over Tony’s exposed collar bones, the other man visibly shaking with anticipation. “Don’t make me wait.”


	10. Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki are adjusting to parenthood, but one thing seems to be missing from their happy little family, in the form of their beloved pet cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, enjoy!

It's strange for Peter. Despite his eccentric family, his upbringing has always been very stable. He was never abandoned, even when his parents had to save the world on their latest mission. He was always taken care of by someone he knew, never a strange face. Either one of the Avengers would remain behind with him securely locked away in Tony's specially designed safe room at Stark Tower, or if all the team were required, Peter was left in the very capable hands of everyone's favourite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Phil Coulson.

One time — his favourite time actually — Peter always remembers fondly there was a particularly dangerous, intergalactic invasion that once again hit New York for a week or two. That was when his mother took him to Asgard for the first time. He had a wonderfully  _safe_  time with his Grandmother, Frigga, and even Odin was pleasant enough, despite butting heads on occasion. Odin was regularly reminded that Peter was most certainly Loki's child.

So yes, despite all the aliens and the magic and the chaos that came with it, stability is all Peter has ever known. So seeing all his belongings boxes and his clothes in suitcases and not his wardrobe, is very strange and slightly scary. Scarier than being in the midst of an alien invasion.

Everything in his room is packed and ready to go — everything apart from him.

His fingers dance over the edge of his desk, his mind filling with memories of his dad helping him with his homework. They would sit for hours, Tony teaching him diligently, with a precision and depth into his favourite subjects — maths and science — that is not and never will be provided by the school curriculum. It was no wonder that Peter would ace every test and exam without so much as a blink of his eye and was consequently put into every AP class available. Along with his stable family life, but thanks to their uniqueness, Peter has surrounded himself with a selective group of friends that he trusts, so therefore refused to skip ahead a grade or two when it was offered.

Dad was good with the technical stuff, but sucks when it comes to words, especially compared to Loki. Mom was always there to help him with his English work, and it was something they always had in common. Loki has a penchant for books and his silver tongue has a knack for language that no one can rival. The thick, hard back books packed into boxes on his desk were passed down to him from his mother, who got them from his. There were some that were almost falling apart, and clearly Loki's favourites. Every so often he would come by and borrow them when he wanted to read some classic Midgardian literature. Peter's favourite books though, are the ones of Asgard's rich history, not human myths or stories, but the truth directly from the Realm Eternal. Peter spent hours poring over and scrutinizing each page, wanting to know everything about his mother and his home. Each of the books are well worn and clearly loved by both mother and son.

Peter steps over to his bed and moves the boxes and suitcases to the desk and his chair, leaving himself with just enough space to curl up on his side. He lies back and thinks. Just thinks. Thinks about how much his life is going to change when he moves across the country to college, leaving his parents behind. If he's honest, he has a pretty sweet deal at home. He has Jarvis to run his schedule, his Dad's workshop with unlimited resources, and his Mom's magic to do everything he doesn't want to. It's going to suck living without them. As he lies wallowing, Mischief, his beloved pet cat, strolls into his room and jumps up on the bed, obviously sensing the need to comfort the boy.

Peter can't recall the amount of times he's found himself like this. Ever since he was four-years-old with his first nightmare, Mischief would sleep by his side every single night. This was another thing, Peter knew he would miss. He loved this damn cat, and he knows he's going to seriously miss him. It breaks his heart even more to know that Mischief is getting older. The feline doesn't show it physically or mentally, still able to jump from surface to surface around the tower, but there are flecks of grey amongst his sleek black fur. Peter notices a new grey hair every night. He smiles sadly as he tickles the back of Mischief's neck, the cat nuzzling his cheek, purring loudly and contentedly.

Peter can't say how long he spends playing with Mischief, but that's how his Mom finds him. Loki stands by the door, silently watching his son, his own smile reflecting the melancholy in Peter's eyes. The boy looks up to see the man who gave birth to him, an inconceivable idea to the masses, but to Peter, that is his mother. To him, man or woman, he loves Loki and couldn't wish for a better Mom. The God steps into the room, staring at the bare walls and empty shelves, glad to see his books placed lovingly into the boxes for transport.

"It's nearly time to go, darling," Loki says, his hand waving through the air, the packed belongings vanishing seconds later.

"Mom..." Peter's voice is slow and hesitant, "I think, maybe I've made a mistake. Maybe it's not a good idea to go."

"Why ever not, my son?" Loki's head tilts quizzically, taking a seat on the bed beside him.

"I just know that college is going to suck..." Loki's eyebrow raises, knowing that is not the full truth, " _Fine_ , it's going to suck being away from you and Dad."

"Darling, you are aware this is not my home world and it still confuses me, but your father assures me this is the proper thing for a child of Midgard, especially one as gifted as you, to undertake. And Peter, since this is our home for the very long foreseeable future, a Midgardian life is one you shall commit too."

And if Loki thought that Peter would be in any danger, he would certainly not be leaving. He does however, need to learn some independence. Loki is aware how much he does for him, but he  _can't help it_. He just wants to give him the love and attention he feels he sorely missed out on as a child. It kills him though, the thought of Peter not being at home anymore; having no one to yell at for leaving his stuff all over the place, having no more of their little conversations about Loki's struggles with Midgard, or Peter's evolving relationship with Gwen. He's going to miss his child unbearably.

"But Son, please remember, this will always be your home, wherever your father and I are, you are always welcome." Loki looks away, but places his hand on Peter's arm to remind himself he's not gone get, "Don't forget us."

"Mom, are you crying?" Peter sits up, taking the hand on his arm in his own.

Swallowing back the tears, his voice cracks audibly as his throat constricts, " _No_..."

"I am never going to forget you. I know I don't say it enough because I'm a stubborn dick — which I totally get from you and Dad by the way — but I love you, Mom. I love you and Dad, and Mischief and this house, and this life you've given me. I'm never going to forget the last 18 years." Peter pulls Loki to him, his arms wrapping around his neck. He didn't realise, until the moment he held his crying Mom in his arms, how hard the separation was going to be on the family. Selfishly, he'd only been thinking of himself.

"Seriously, how could I forget the last 18 years? This place is batshit crazy — like unhealthily crazy — but I wouldn't have had it any other way." Loki's laugh bubbles through his tears, sniffling against Peter's shoulder, as he holds him tight. He doesn't want to let go. He's had to let go far too many times before and doesn't know if he can do it again. "Seriously though, can you at least call ahead before teleporting in,  _please_? I might actually make some friends besides Gwen and then I'll have to go through the whole awkward explanation again..."

"It is not my fault your friend fainted! How was I to know you had a female in the tower?" Loki pulls himself out of the hug he was sharing with Peter to stare at him, exasperated as to why this was being brought up again.

"Yeah, Peter," a voice teases from the doorway, "How were we supposed to know you had a  _girlfriend_ over?!"

Peter and Loki turn to the door to see Tony leaning against the frame nonchalantly, his arms folded and his left leg crossed over the other.

Grumbling to himself, Peter huffs and flings his hands in the air. He throws himself onto his mattress, burying his face in the pillows still remaining on the bed. His muffled whines are heard, "She is  _not_  my girlfriend!"

"Yet..." Loki coughs under his breath, followed by an  _"I hate you"_  from Peter.

"Now  _this_  is what I'm going to miss," Tony announces as he approaches the bed. He manoeuvres Loki to his lap, and sits in the God's original place beside Peter. He kisses him gently, before patting Peter on the shoulder, "It's alright buddy, you'll get her eventually."

All they get in response is more unintelligible mumbling. Tony looks to Loki and the sad smile on his lips. He pulls his partner to him, Loki's face disappearing into his neck, hiding the tears that once again spring to his eyes.

Because the teasing miraculously stops with no more pain, Peter looks up to see his Mom and Dad in an embrace. His heart aches, and like the child he once was, squeezes himself between his parents. With one arm around Loki and the other around his son, Tony cuddles his family into him, holding them close.

No one knows how long they sit in each other's arms, but at least Jarvis is keeping his metaphorical eye on the time, "Sirs, it's time to leave, or you will be late for Miss Stacy, who is waiting to be picked up. The jet will only wait so long for your arrival."

Sighing, Tony pats Loki and Peter on their backs as a signal to move. It takes a moment, but they all eventually separate and Loki has composed himself enough to leave his seat on Tony's lap. Silently, Tony kisses Peter's forehead, and takes Loki's hand, leading him from the near empty bedroom.

As Peter is about to leave his room for the last time to follow his parents, Mischief meows loudly from the bed. He glances back, to see his cat sitting and waiting for him. Peter once again walks back to the bed and kneels in front of him. He strokes his back and kisses his head, whispering how much he's going to miss him into the soft, black fur. Mischief stretches his paws to Peter's shoulder, and the young man smiles, "Okay buddy, one last time."

Gently lifting the feline, he slinks around Peter's neck like a snake, making himself into an almost scarf. It's habit, something he has always done ever since Peter was old and strong enough to carry him. Carefully Peter stands from the floor and walks to the door. Balancing with a familiar ease, he bends over to pick up his backpack and slings it over the shoulder opposite from Mischief's head. Peter turns to look one last time at his bedroom, wondering just how different his new one will feel. He takes a few moments of quiet contemplation before he manually flicks the light switch and closes the door behind him for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goodness, I don't even know where to begin! I'll start with a note about this chapter:
> 
> I know that Tony obviously has enough money to kit Peter out with a complete new bedroom for when he's at college, but Peter is a sentimental guy, which he totally gets from his Mom. And also I know that Peter would, again obviously, come back to terrorise his parents at the first chance he got, but since this is the last chapter of the last story in this series, I wanted to make the end, well the end.
> 
> So as I just said, this is the final chapter of Supervision, and the last story in my Reflection series! This makes me really sad! Reflection must have been one of my first FrostIron stories, and honestly I can't believe I've managed to actually finish the series without hating it, like anything I've ever written for any other fandom. It must be this pairing! They do things to me!
> 
> Next I just want to thank those who still bother reading my work (if anyone still is...), because I know how much I suck at updating. You must have felt like I abandoned you! D: But yes, I want to apologise profusely for me taking forever to update this time, school and exams and everything that has made my life hell are finally over and I've just been taking my sweet time to do absolutely nothing for a few weeks. However! Inspiration finally struck, because I honestly had no idea where to go with this last chapter... but I got there, and I hope I did the story justice with this finale.
> 
> Let me know what you think and keep an eye out for my future FrostIron stories! :)


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